Sorry gentlemen, this year’s nakedness is purely figurative

Pirelli, the first name in all things NSFW, turned a new leaf last year when it picked brains over boobs to feature exceptional and intellectual women from the worlds of business, sports and art.

Continuing their move away from the brand’s soft-core past and towards less sexualized images of women, the 2017 Pirelli Calendar focuses on “more naturalistic concept of beauty” — a far cry from some of the famed Italian tyre company’s campaigns of the past, that often featured naked models, shot in exotic locales.

The photographer behind the lens this year is German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh. The ace-lensman contends that the new calendar is “a cry against the terror of perfection and youth”. Known for his stark black-and-white portraiture, the latest edition features Lindbergh’s “take on natural beauty”. It features shots of some of the best actors in the world, “who have something to say”. The 2017 Pirelli Calendar, titled ‘Emotional’ features Lindbergh’s shots of Penelope Cruz, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Chastain, Rooney Mara, Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Robin Wright, Alicia Vikander, Kate Winslet, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlotte Rampling, Zhang Ziyi, and Lea Seydoux.

“My aim was to portray women in a different way, and I did it by calling in actresses who’ve played an important role in my life, getting as close as possible to them to take my photos. As an artist, I feel I’m responsible for freeing women from the idea of eternal youth and perfection. The ideal of perfect beauty promoted by society is something that simply can’t be attained,” Lindbergh said at the launch party in Paris.